Abstract: A piezoresistive MEMS oscillator comprises a resonator body, first and second drive electrodes located adjacent the resonator body for providing an actuation signal; and at least a first sense electrode connected to a respective anchor point. The voltages at the electrodes are controlled and/or processed such that the feedthrough AC current from one drive electrode to the sense electrode is at least partially offset by the feedthrough AC current from the other drive electrode to the sense electrode.

Abstract: An apparatus for misalignment compensation in optical joysticks is described. The optical joystick includes a light source, a plurality of photodetectors, and circuitry for controlling operation of the optical joystick. In some embodiments, each of the photodetectors may partitioned into a plurality of photodetector elements and select photodetector elements are configured to be individually activated in order to cause an electrical shifting of the selected photodetector elements to achieve a different operational alignment position of optical components of the optical joystick. In some embodiments, the light source may be similarly be calibrated by individually activating portions of a light-source array to cause an electrical shift. Various other embodiments and methods of operation are also described.

Abstract: A includes a shaft having a length, a first end, and a second end; the second end has an oblique reflective surface defined thereon; the first end fixedly attached to the knob. Containing the shaft is a rotation body, having a receptacle to accommodate the second end of the shaft with the oblique reflective surface exposed. An integrated circuit optical module is optically coupled to the rotation body. The optical module detects a light irradiance profile from the oblique reflective surface and includes a solid state light source and a plurality of photo detectors which generate an electrical signal upon exposure to light. As the knob is rotated, the oblique reflective surface generates a changing asymmetric irradiance profile, the change being translated into an electrical signal via the photo detectors, which signal corresponds to the degree of rotation of the knob.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetic field sensor or current sensor which can exhibit a substantially linear relationship between the sensor signal and the logarithm of the magnetic field or current. The sensor may be used as a wide dynamic range sensor which can offer a constant relative sensitivity and a uniform SNR over several decades. The design of the sensor device may be implemented in discrete magnetic field sensors or current sensors as well as in integrated current sensors in ICs comprising MRAM modules.

Abstract: A MEMS resonator has a resonator mass in the form of a closed ring anchored at points around the ring. A set of ring comb electrode arrangements is fixed to the ring at locations between the anchor points, to couple the input (drive) and output (sense) signals to/from the resonator mass.

Abstract: A MEMS resonator has a component which provides a capacitance associated with the transduction gap which has a temperature-dependent dielectric characteristic, which varies in the same direction (i.e. the slope has the same sign) as the Young's modulus of the material of the resonator versus temperature. This means that the resonant frequency is less dependent on temperature.

Abstract: A resonator comprises a resonator mass (34), a first connector (30) on a first side of the mass connected between the resonator mass and a first fixed mounting and a second connector (32) on a second, opposite, side of the mass connected between the resonator mass and a second fixed mounting. Drive means drives the mass (34) into a resonant mode in which it oscillates in a sideways direction, thereby compressing one of the first and second connectors while extending the other of the first and second connectors.

Abstract: A microphone comprises a substrate (20), a microphone membrane (10) defining an acoustic input surface and a backplate (11) supported with respect to the membrane with a fixed spacing between the backplate (11) and the membrane (10). A microphone periphery area comprises parallel corrugations (24) in the membrane (10) and backplate (11). By using the same corrugated suspension for both the membrane and the backplate, the sensitivity to body noise is optimally suppressed.

Abstract: A MEMS resonator, comprising a planar resonator body formed of two different materials with opposite sign temperature coefficient of Young's modulus. A first portion of one material extends across the full thickness of the resonator body. This provides a design which allows reduced temperature drift.

Abstract: A piezoresistive MEMS oscillator comprises a resonator body, first and second drive electrodes located adjacent the resonator body for providing an actuation signal; and at least a first sense electrode connected to a respective anchor point. The voltages at the electrodes are controlled and/or processed such that the feedthrough AC current from one drive electrode to the sense electrode is at least partially offset by the feedthrough AC current from the other drive electrode to the sense electrode.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor comprising first and second magnetoresistive elements is disclosed. Each magnetoresistive element is coupled at a respective first end to a common ground terminal and comprises one or more magnetoresistive segments, each overlying a corresponding segment of an excitation coil. The resistance of the magnetoresistive segments in each of the first and second magnetoresistive elements is the same and the resistance of the segments of the excitation coil corresponding to the first magnetoresistive element is the same as the resistance of the segments of the excitation coil corresponding to the second magnetoresistive element.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a detection system and a corresponding method for detecting movements of a movable object that compensate for unintentional tilt movement of the movable object in a first direction and/or in a second direction when a linear movement in a third direction is detected.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a system detects the degree of rotation of a knob, the system comprises a shaft having a length and a first end and a second end; the second end has an oblique reflective surface defined thereon; the first end fixedly attached to the knob. Containing the shaft is a rotation body, having a receptacle to accommodate the second end of the shaft with the oblique reflective surface exposed. An integrated circuit optical module is optically coupled the rotation body and the optical module detects light irradiance profile from the oblique reflective surface. The optical module includes a solid state light source and a plurality of photo detectors which generate an electrical signal upon exposure to light. As the knob is rotated, the oblique reflective surface generates a changing asymmetric irradiance profile, the change being translated into an electrical signal via the photo detectors. The electrical signal corresponds to the degree of rotation of the knob.

Abstract: A novel Si MEMS piezoresistive resonator is described. The resonator has a shape of a frame, such as a ring or a polygon frame, which has two or more anchors. Electrodes located at the outer or inner rim of the resonant structure are used to excite the structure electrostatically into resonance with a desired mode shape. One or plurality of locally doped regions on the structure is used for piezoresistive readout of the signal. In the most preferred embodiments, the structure is a ring, which has four anchors, two electrodes and four piezoresistive regions at different segments of the structure. The piezoresistive regions are alternatively located at the outer rim and inner rim of the structure in such a way that the piezoresistive signals of the same sign from different regions can be collected. Advantages of this device are large readout signal, large electrode area, robustness, suppressed out-of-plane vibration and larger usable linear range.

Abstract: An oscillator device comprises a resonator mass which is connected by a spring arrangement to a substrate and a feedback element for controlling oscillation of the resonator mass, which comprises a piezoresistive element connected between the resonator mass and the substrate. The invention provides an oscillator device in which the two parts (resonator and circuit to close the oscillation loop) are combined inside one single oscillator device, which can be a MEMS device.

Abstract: A device has a micro electromechanical structure (10) with a first arm (102), at least one second arm (104a, b) connected to each other via a connection (100). Both arms (102, 104a, b) and the connection (100) are preferably made of a single crystalline body. The first and second arm (102, 104a, b) have end portions attached to a substrate, but otherwise the arms and their connection are free to move relative to the substrate. The first and second arm (102, 104a, b) extending from the end portions to the connection (100) along different directions, preferably perpendicularly to each other. An electrode (12) is provided on the substrate, adjacent to the micro electromechanical structure (10) to excite vibration of the structure. The two arms in different directions make it possible to reduce the nonlinearity of the stiffness during vibrations of the structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a detection system for the detection of movements of a movable object. The detection system may comprises: a light emitting device (S) for emitting light, a reflecting unit (5) being arranged in functional connection with the movable object and being adapted for reflecting the emitted light, a plurality of detectors (D1 to D4) for detecting the reflected light and outputting detection signals for determining a movement of the movable object. When reflecting the emitted light, the reflecting unit causes a light spot to be incident on the plurality of detectors, and the plurality of detectors are arranged in a predetermined manner so as to be located completely inside the light spot irrespective of any movement of the movable object. The present invention further relates to a method of detecting movements of the movable object, and an IC having implemented therein the detection system.

Abstract: Devices (1) are provided with sensor arrangements (2) comprising field generators (10) for generating magnetic fields and first/second/third elements (R1-R4, S1-S4, T1-T4) for detecting first/second/third components of the magnetic fields in a plane and movable objects (14) for, in response to changing the first/second/third accelerations of the moveable objects (14) in first/second/third directions, changing the first/second/third components of the magnetic fields in the plane. The first (second, third) field detector (11, 12, 13) is more sensitive to the first (second, third) acceleration than to the other accelerations. Such devices (1) have a good sensitivity and a good linearity. The elements (R1-R4, S1-S4, T1-T4) form part of bridges. The first elements (R1-R4) may be in round or rectangular form and the second and third elements (S1-S4, T1-T4) may be in the form of sun beams leaving a sun.

Abstract: The optical pointing device of the present invention comprises a base and an actuator movable connected to the base, wherein the actuator comprises a reflective portion on a side facing the base, and wherein the base comprises a light source for emitting light towards the reflective portion of the actuator, a detector comprising one of more detection units for detecting at least a part of the light reflected by the reflective portion of the actuator, and a transparent element arranged between the actuator and at least one of the light source and the detection units, for providing a closed transparent housing for the light source and/or the detection units.

Abstract: A frequency selection device comprises an oscillator, which comprises a resonator mass which is connected by a spring arrangement to a substrate, and a piezoresistive element for controlling oscillation of the resonator mass, which comprises a piezoresistive element connected to the resonator mass. A current is driven through the piezoresistive element to control oscillation of the resonator mass. An input is provided for coupling a signal from which a desired frequency range is to be selected, to the resonator mass; and a detector is used for detecting a signal amplified by the oscillator.